Canada's 2015 Financial Literacy Month Culminates in Student Money Fair Showcase at Downtown Toronto School

TORONTO, Dec. 1, 2015 /CNW/ - Sprucecourt Public School in downtown Toronto hosted an event to celebrate November's Financial Literacy Month in Canada by staging a student Money Fair. The event at Sprucecourt kicks off Money Fairs at schools across Canada, one of the ways in which schools are participating in and promoting Canada's annual Talk with Our Kids about Money Day (TWOKAM). Talk With Our Kids About Money Day, a program created by the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE), and powered by BMO Financial Group, is designed to get teachers and parents engaged in helping young Canadians learn more about money and personal finances and prepare for their financial futures. In 2016, TWOKAM, now in its fourth year, is being launched in British Columbia and Newfoundland, the final two provinces to participate. In April, 2015 some 2,200 schools and about 400,000 students participated in the third annual TWOKAM Day. Talk With Our Kids About Money Day is the third Wednesday in April each year - April 20^th in 2016.

"The Money Fair at Sprucecourt Public School is a great way to get students, staff, and parents talking about money topics that are of interest to students – and helps prepare youth for their financial futures," said Gary Rabbior, President of CFEE. "The Sprucecourt Money Fair can serve as a model for other schools across Canada which will be embarking on their own money fairs in the months ahead prior to TWOKAM Day on April 20^th 2016," concluded Mr. Rabbior.

CFEE will be populating its TWOKAM website with photos and videos of the Sprucecourt event.

Highlights of the TWOKAM School Program:

• Easy-to-use, complete lesson plans for teachers that are cross-curricular and make it easy for teachers to integrate money topics  into a broad range of subject areas including social studies, math, science, environmental studies, music and art
• Group discussion and debate ideas
• Resources and interactive tools for teachers
• Links to other resources and programs
• Links to background material on financial literacy and research results
• Lesson plans are developed for grade 7 teachers but any teacher of any subject at any grade is encouraged to participate

Highlights of the TWOKAM Parent Program:

• Free online access to fun and engaging activities that are easy to do and confortably set up opportunities for parents to have a talk about money with their children, provoke their curiosity and stimulate questions that lead to learning
• Wide variety of actvities including movies to watch, books to read, songs to listen to, crafts to make, local trips to take, and more
• Helpful links and resources for parents including a variety of articles offering different views on allowances
• Resources are organized by child's age range, for example age 5-7, 6-9, and so on up to the "Transition Years" when youth are moving out on their own

About CFEE

CFEE is a federally chartered, non-profit, non-partisan organization, founded in 1974, that works to improve economic and financial literacy and enterprising capability. CFEE works collaboratively with ministries and departments of education along with school boards, schools, educators, and teacher associations. CFEE also engages in activities to support and assist newcomers and past immigrants to Canada, and the general public including print resources, videos, workshops, and online resources. Overall, CFEE aspires to help Canadians of all ages be better prepared to undertake their economic roles, responsibilities, and decisions with confidence and competence.

SOURCE Canadian Foundation for Economic Education

Image with caption: "To celebrate November as Canada's Financial Literacy Month, Sprucecourt Public School in Toronto staged a Money Fair for its grade 5/6 students. The members of the winning team are Raima Absara, Maiesha Kanieze and Shiza Arshad (CNW Group/Canadian Foundation for Economic Education)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20151201_C8078_PHOTO_EN_556153.jpg

Media Contacts: Canadian Foundation for Economic Education, Joseph Clark, [email protected], [phone] / [phone]; Susan Lennox, [email protected], [phone]